One of the most awaited events in the NBA All Star Weekend is the slam dunk competition. The 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will showcase six players competing in a new format. This year, three players for the Eastern Conference and three players for the Western Conference will compete in two rounds of competition

Last year’s champion, Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz, will be joined by Eric Bledsoe of the Los Angeles Clippers and Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets who will be playing for the Western Conference. On the other side, Gerald Green of the Indiana Pacers, Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors, and James White from the New York Knicks will be playing for the Eastern Conference.

Here are some highlights from Jeremy Evans and Gerald Green to get you pumped up for this year's All Star Weekend!

International fans can get in on the action and have several ways of voting for their favorites to win: via Twitter (Tweet #SpriteSlam and the player's last name), through the official NBA All-Star App (available on iTunes, Google Play, and at http://www.nba.com/allstarapp/), or on NBA.com.

Although these hot-blooded newbies are there, we still want to get a glimpse of the NBA superstars, who would be fascinating to watch do the magic slum dunks.

Our list of the top 5 NBA players we want to see in the Slam Dunk Contest in the near future:

LeBron James Ever since he once-upon-a-time teased that he was going to join the slam dunk competition, fan boys have been waiting for James to step up to that promise. Probably part of the reason he was seen as a villain after leaving Cleveland – he never did sign up, despite Miami pal, Dwayne Wade, trying to convince him to showcase his skills. Maybe next year…

Dwight Howard We’d love to see Superman put on his cape again. But definitely not this year. Injuries have kept the Lakers center grounded, and barely even able to play well this season. His past wins might have been full of gimmicks, but that’s what the All Star Weekend is all about – it’s a show!

Blake Griffin Speaking of gimmicks, what about using a car as a prop? Sure, turn it into a commercial later on! Very sneaky, very awesome too! Wouldn't mind seeing another “commercial” again anytime soon. Even if some people dismiss Griffin’s dunks as glorified layups.

Russell Westbrook Pure explosive power. That’s what Russell Westbrook can bring to the Slam Dunk Competition. Westbrook’s hotheaded play may occasionally seem to be out of place in the NBA, but that same style could be harnessed in an exhibition of dunking skills.

Nate Robinson Lil’ Nate, all 5 foot 9 inches of him, is a three-time Slam Dunk Contest winner. He has nothing to prove, except maybe, he might want to remind everyone that he’s still flying high. There’s just something about the little guys shoving it against the big fellas that brings a smile across the NBA’s face.